Join us as we jump right into one of the most fiery bts topics. Pricing!
First of all, please note, we are not here to air pet peeves. This discussion is meant to be informative and illuminating for those not in the biz, and also an opportunity for us to hear from some of our vintage slingin’ buds.
Every weekend we get to hear “feedback” regarding our prices. Some of the comments we hear are, of course, more gracious than others… to those who take the time to thank us for our collection, consistency and reasonable prices: many MANY thanks. Whether you're shopping or not, that kind of feedback is not only treasured but also very helpful and reassuring that our efforts are in the right place. Here’s what I wish we could tell every person who looks at the price and decides it’s too high, especially those who chose to throw around comments that we can overhear: our prices are informed, intentional, and based on a number of factors. We completely understand if something is out of your budget and we work hard to accommodate every price point. We are also happy to help you find what you’re looking for whether that means checking our collection or directing you to another vendor in our amazing community.
Each item is hand selected to be here, at this pop up, in the Mission, for our shoppers. We started curating specifically for outdoor pop ups in the mission 7 years ago when Katie was doing pop ups in her driveway. The same intention and care goes for our collection at 710 Collective, our website and our upcoming showroom. Selections, like pricing, are based on years of experience, trial and error, and our love of ORIGINAL styling. We love throwing a wild card in just to see who goes for it and how they style it… we see you josh and your circus pants! 💛
Back to pricing… more to consider before you say ‘that thing’ out loud. Certain items are very hard to find and not only do we hunt tirelessly, we also have a web of connections as a result of years in the biz. One friend recently sourced some great boots for PORTER in Utah. Another sent us to a woman selling a pair on facebook marketplace. We have an out of state boot connection from a tip from a lovely shopper. Our feelers are always out there because of the business we show up and do every day. And we want you to be as THRILLED as we are by what we are able to bring to our sweet corner in the mission. Whether that’s baby blue cowboy boots sourced in Tulum, bubblegum pink boots from SLC or our growing collection of rare UFO rave pants sourced from all over- we HUNT to get you that epic shit.
PORTER vintage has officially been in this biz for 7 years (though if you know the story we could call it a family biz that started before Katie was even born). During this journey we’ve made some wonderful colleagues, roll models, and friends and wanted their take on the price of vintage.
Pilar of Bodega No. 3 is a vendor we've always admired and have had the pleasure of collaborating with in the past. Her collection should not be missed! In our discussion on pricing Pilar she mentioned some great points we left out. Regarding the price of vintage, here's what she has to say: “Bodega No. 3 was started in 2019 but I’ve been selling vintage/antiques most of my life. My uncle owned an antique store and I was his helper. I am intentional about the garments I sell, sourcing quality pieces that have a lot of life left in them. I also try to keep my prices as accessible as possible. I would urge those customers to think about the work that it goes into prolonging the life of an existing garment. Vintage sellers often source, clean, mend, tag, research, wait in line, find gross things in pockets, hang, photograph, etc etc etc before an item makes it to the website or event. Prices are often based on all those factors and also that we still need to pay ourselves in order to continue our business. I love my customers and anyone who has ever supported Bodega No. 3. Most vintage sellers do, so be nice to us 😘.” Side note- we’ve watched via her instagram, @bodega_no3, the great length Pilar goes in cleaning the garments she sells, including deep bathtub soaks and expert methods. You can shop Bodega No. 3 online, shopbodegano3.com, and at a variety of bay area events- follow her instagram for updates.
Next we picked the brain of the queen. Or rather the Tangerine Queen! Here's Katelyn’s thoughts on pricing her colorful and one of a kind collection. “I have been a stylist for 10+ years, wearing vintage for about that same amount of time. I began selling vintage almost three years ago! My vintage shopping addiction stemmed from me seeking out a way to wear as high of quality of clothing as my styling clients while balling on a budget. The script soon flipped and my clients began envying my one-of-a-kind finds. Come 2020 when the world turned upside down and I was furloughed from two separate fashion start-ups, I decided to start slinging vintage alongside my styling services.
When it comes to price, I always try to educate shoppers on what it is they are paying for... If you want to purchase a silk blouse, there is a spectrum of options available for you, each balancing time and money (among other things). You could purchase a new silk blouse online in a jiffy and spend hundreds. You could go thrifting for hours and spend pennies. Shopping vintage is that sweet spot in between. Each piece I carry in my shop is carefully curated for its uniqueness and quality and is priced thoughtfully and fairly. I sort through the nitty-gritty, less glamorous places to find the diamonds in the rough so my shoppers don't have to! Instead of paying market value for silk, you pay me for my time and efforts to curate a beautiful selection of great quality pieces. Instead of spending your time and energy digging through endless thrift stores, you have the delightful shopping experience of browsing my vibrant, colorful showroom.
For shoppers who give push back on price, I simply thank them for supporting small business and respecting how much time and effort goes into what we do! If they value spending less money over spending their time, we are lucky to live in a city where there is an abundance of options for shopping second-hand and I am always happy to recommend an option that may better suit their needs.” You can shop Tangerine Queen online, TangerineQueen.com, and at her exceptionally vibrant and stunning showroom at 1779 Union St. San Francisco - follow her instagram @TangerineQueenVintage for updates.
For those of you who’ve made it this far, thank you. It's fascinating diving into all the aspects of this business we love. We simply ADORE our community… youre why we're here. You're the reason we get to do what we love and continue growing as a business and as people. We plan on continuing these discussions and sharing the bts content that causes us to think and learn and explore the curious layers where this business leads us both in vintage and beyond…🚀👽✨
